Below is a wonderful quote put up by Fernando Sept 13, 2009 on ThisIsMs.com which pulls together Dr. Zamboni's breakthrough hypothesis that MS is a blood circulation disorder as well as the Orthogonal Atlas Chiropractic theories about cerebro spinal fluid (CSF ) blockages as a cause of MS. They complement one another and reveal as well why a simplistic double blind study of the Liberation Therapy will prove fruitless.Let's say a build up of CSF actually compresses or inhibits venous blood circulation from the brain leading to a blood reflux and Multiple Sclerosis brain damage. Dr. Zamboni's central hypothesis remains valid, it is the blood reflux which injures the brain. But the CAUSE of the reflux may NOT be IN the veins themselves. Physical manipulation of the cranium and vertebrae may be neccessary to release the CSF pressure. (Surgery which actually drains the CSF pressure might be suggested, but I'm not one to go for that without having really tried "manipulation") Also, I've begun meditation with deep breathing exercise and visualization of brain fluid circulation. It's difficult for me to stop thinking, to empty my mind, to focus simply on my breathing and release of body tension. So I began with 5 minutes one day, and am trying to build up. The second quote about vertebral veins was posted by Cece on October 15, 2012. The inside vein walls are muscular (therefore subject to muscle tension stress ?) and the exterior vertebral veins are controlled by valves. Again this implies that stress pure and simple could "squeeze" the interior vertebral vein blood back into the brain. The Italian MS Society recently declared the CCSVI link to MS theory to be invalid after a 2 year "controlled" study which was administered by a Neurologist.. Their only diagnostic tool was a Doppler Sonogram and 89% of positive results from local clinics were deemed invalid. Dr. Zamboni pulled out of the study early on, objecting to the protocols which he deemed would bias the outcome. It is obvious that Professor Zamboni's protocols should be respected in the study of a theory he has developed and demonstrated. However, in addition to the study of a vein abnormality (stenosis or valve problem), I believe one needs to consider the role of muscle tension caused by toxic stress as well as cerebrospinal fluid compression. This complicates the issue and makes a simplistic "let's see if the vein is blocked in MS?" study inconclusive since one can have a blood reflux without an actual physically observable pathology. I have now concluded there are 5 main forms of MS. 1) Congenital 2) Developmental 3) Skeletal Trauma ( which impedes the free flow of Cerebral fluids - blood and cerebrospinal) 4) Toxic 5) Aging.http://www.beckleyfoundation.org/science/projects1.htmlFirst Quote: Posted by Fernando on ThisIsMs.com Sept 13, 2009Investigating Cerebral Circulation as the Physiological Underpinning of Consciousness

A collaboration between the Beckley Foundation and the Sechenov Institute of Evolutionary Physiology and Biochemistry,St. Petersburg, led by Prof. Yuri Moskalenko, Amanda Feilding and Peter Halvorson

One of the projects we are most excited about at the Beckley Foundation is our collaboration with Prof. Yuri Moskalenko investigating cranial compliance. Cranial compliance is a measure of the functioning of the cranial system as a whole: the skull, the brain tissue, and all the liquids that flow through and around this complex system. Cranial compliance is determined by the interaction of all these components, and the results of our investigation so far have shown that a better understanding of these interactions is of crucial importance for healthier brains and improved cognitive functioning throughout the whole of one's life.

The Cranial System and Cranial Compliance

The circulation of blood in the brain differs from that of the other organs because the brain is encased within a nearly-rigid container, the cranium. The situation is further complicated by a second fluid system in the brain, the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) system, which circulates in its own compartments and interacts with the blood system. These systems are interdependent such that changes in the volume, pressure and movements of one system should lead to concomitant changes in the other, consistent with the laws of fluid dynamics. The study of brain circulation has therefore evolved into the study of the bio-mechanical principles of how fluids move through soft tubes inside a closed container under pressure. There are many different configurations by which the two fluid volumes interact, and learning more about these reveals vital new information about brain circulation and its implications for health.

The concept of brain circulation from this systemic point of view, as a complex biological system, has been given the name cranial compliance or CC. Understanding CC is relevant to medical professionals as well as for each and every one of us. Changes in the elasticity of this complex system over the life span have been shown to have a direct impact on cerebral health and cognitive functioning, as our most recently completed research clearly demonstrates. To know and to manage cranial compliance is as important for the good health of the brain as knowing and managing one's blood pressure is for the heart. The good news is that our research indicates that early, proactive management of cranial compliance may counteract the diminution in brain functions considered to be an inevitable part of normal ageing.

The importance of good cerebral circulation and our intuitive understanding of this is highlighted by the long history we humans have of devising practices that improve our cerebral circulation. The benefits of yogic breathing exercises to cranial compliance, for example, indicate an appreciation that inspiration and expiration (i.e. respiratory pressure changes) are one of the driving forces of brain circulation. Indeed, the respiratory system can be considered as a third fluid system in terms of the effects it has on blood and CSF movements. Altering the extent and rhythm of breathing influences the quality and quantity of fluid movements around the brain.

As described above, to really understand cranial compliance and cerebral circulation you have to consider the brain and the cranial system as a holistic whole. The complex cranial structures that influence brain circulation are:-

1) the skull and it's membranes; 2) the vessels and their blood content; 3) the brain tissue; and 4) the cerebrospinal fluid system within all of its various compartments and convolutions. The CSF system cushions the brain and is, most importantly, responsible for the cleansing of the tissue, like a special lymphatic system just for the brain that can remove waste products too large to pass back into the blood stream.Second Quote posted by Cece on ThisIsMs.com Oct 12, 2012http://lib.bioinfo.pl/pmid:21976364Quote: Clin Anat. 2012 Jul ; 25(5):609-18 21976364

The vertebral venous plexuses: The internal veins are muscular and external veins have valves.

Comment: If our IJVs are blocked, many of us rely greatly on our vertebral vein plexuses. Here is more information about the vertebral veins. It's interesting to read about the trabeculae and wonder how the strands and membranes impact upon blood flow. Trabeculae are partially composed of collagen and people with MS have abnormal collagen in their IJVs; do we also have abnormal collagen in our VVs and our trabeculae?

On Oct 8, 2012 Dr. Sclafani, the well known Interventional Radiologist who treats CCSVI wrote on the ThisIsMs.com website:"That being said, i recently have had two patients with severe spasticity which I believed were clearly due to demyelinization. To my surprise some improvements occurred after venoplasty. I still cannot figure out why this occurs." On my blog entry of April 22, 2012 I wrote:I resumed the “paleo-macrobiotic”, veggie juice, gluten free diet around January 17, 2012. Mid March the muscles on the outside of my right leg began to cramp up and “work”. I could pull the leg up in physical therapy without simply using the Quadricep thigh muscle. I was surprised that after only 2 months of detox diet part of the dormant nervous system began to work. (The first time around in 1984-85 it took a year for “dead” nerves to work.)

It doesn’t really make sense that the myelin sheath would heal in such a short time. Then late March I developed a bladder infection which weakened me and eventually I took antibiotics to treat it. As usual this threw my Acupuncture meridians out of balance, my bladder didn’t empty well, my legs were clumsy. Were the nerves affected, or simply the meridians which control the muscles? Also the recent improvement in the leg disappeared. Once off the antibiotics, my legs and balance strengthened and 2 days later the muscles outside the leg reaching into the buttocks began cramping again and appeared to be working. Are these the nerves? My own impression is that the“blocked” blood flow has resumed to nourish the brain. Maybe the problem isn’t simply a question of periodic blood refluxes but insufficient blood flow into the brain (of course this corresponds to my theory that the circulatory system is “stunted” or insufficient in MS). According to Kinesiology, when the body’s energy circulation is “unbalanced”, blockages can occur everywhere, not just the muscles. Perhaps by removing substances my body cannot tolerate,the energy system re-establishes itself, and the blood can nourish the brain correctly. We shall see. I am surprised at such a rapid response to diet change. I wonder how far it will take me? "

This improvement parallels Dr Slafani's surprise that improved blood flow alone could impact the nervous system favorably even in the face of de-myelization. Of course my treatment implies what I call "toxic MS", that toxicity (food intolerances, aspartame etc) can actually impede blood flow and removal of the the toxins can liberate the flow. I mention Acupuncture Meridians as impacting blood flow, but that idea just throws traditional researchers off balance. So let's just say that my experience tends to parallel Dr. Sclafani's observations that improved blood flow enhances nervous system activity.